Police in Bombay, India's betting capital, plan to crack down on bookmakers, but millions of dollars bet on cricket, the sub-continent's sporting passion, will make policing difficult.
Bombay's huge illegal gambling industry is under the spotlight after last week's sacking of South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje, who confessed a bookmaker paid him up to US$15,000 (HK$116,700) for information about a game.
Cronje's sacking is one of cricket's biggest scandals and adds weight to rumours that top cricketers could plot with bookmakers to change the course of matches.
Police have filed fraud and corruption charges against Cronje and three other South African players for allegedly throwing matches against India last month. The players have denied the allegations.
Only gambling on horse racing is legal in India, but bookmakers' earnings are heavily taxed. A one-day international cricket match spurs illegal bets worth US$230 million across India. Bombay bookmakers receive calls from punters in cities as far away as Hong Kong and Dubai.
Matches involving India, Pakistan, South Africa, Australia and West Indies are hot draws. Punters also bet on World Cup football and Grand Slam tennis matches.
Bets are placed not just on the result of a cricket match, but on who wins the toss, a top batsman's score, a bowling change or even whether rain will ruin a match.
Some bookmakers are the first link in a money chain leading to the actual match-fixers. Initiation into this world begins with players parting with harmless information on the weather and pitch. Stakes are raised when details about team composition or players' fitness is revealed.
The deals are more lucrative when more players are roped in and the course of a match is changed. "There could be eight to 10 rungs between a small bookmaker and the top man," senior police officer S. Inamdar said.
In the latest case, police say they have taped telephone conversations between Cronje and an Indian bookmaker.
Most bookmakers have legitimate day jobs as grain traders, jewellers or textile merchants and convert back rooms of shops into betting dens. Wary of police raids, others rent matchbox-sized apartments packed with phones and television sets.
One bookmaker, who declined to be named, said they knew how difficult it was for the police to find proof of their activities. Although bookmakers face up to three years in prison if caught, most get off within a couple of days of their arrest after paying a small fine.
Police usually recover computer notations - but with coded names and numbers often impossible to break.
Another issue is the growing popularity of betting in India. It has now become fashionable to bet, with punting no longer confined to hardcore gamblers.
One woman said last week she was worried about her granddaughter, who lost US$200 after backing the wrong team. The teenager was convinced she would hit the jackpot soon and refused to stop betting, her grandmother said.
Police say they want swift action, including stricter laws, to curb betting. "Gambling is a tendency. Cricket is the pretext," said inspector Inamdar.